RobertZemeckis’CASTAWAYisastrongexampleofwhatcanbedonewithaveteranactorandaprettysolidscript.TomHanksasChuckNoland,anexecutiveforFedExwhoisstrandedonaremoteislandinthePacific,isintopform,andthewritingbyWilliamBroyles,Jr.tellsthestorywithoutstrainingitselfwithworryoverthepremise.Hanksisremarkablehere.OfcoursethestorythatwillgetthemostattentionishowheandhisfriendBobZemeckissuspendedproductionhalfwaythroughthefilm,sothatHankscouldshed50orsopoundsandlethishairgrow.Sureenough,ChuckNolandreappearslookinglikeJohntheBaptist,spearingfishexpertly,evencrouchinglikeanativewould–thesurvivorinthewild.IneverysceneitseemslikeHanksisnotsurroundedbyalargecrew;hesimplyactsnaturally,holdinghisexpressivemouthandcastinghisexpressiveeyesinwaysthatengageusandalwayscarrytheplotfurther.Perhapshehasnotchosenwidelydifferentrolesinhiscareer,butTomHankscertainlyassumesauthorityupthereonthescreen,andhejustgetsmorewatchablewiththeyears.Thestoryisalsooneofthestars.No,itwillnotinterestviewerswhodemandintenseactionorexplosions,thoughtheplanecrashsequenceisverywellexecutedandmemorable.IlikethatthescriptdoesnothaveChuckNolandtalkingtohimselfunnecessarily.Whenhetalksorscreamsaloud,itiswarranted;whenNolandneedstopreservehissanity,hecreatesacompanion:apackagefromtheplanecargo,avolleyballhedubs“Wilson,”paintinginafacewithhisownblood.It’sremarkableindeedthatweactuallybegintoempathizewiththisvolleyball,oratleastwiththetraitswithwhichNolandhaspersonifiedit.Fromthetragicoperaofhismarooning,Hanksisabletocausehischaractertosiftcomicmoments–anicetouchandanoptimisticstancefromwhichtoviewtheworld.Manystarsattractanaudiencemerelybyattachingtheirnamestoaproject;HanksisthesurestbetinmodernHollywoodtodeliverthegoods.Broyles’script,alongwithZemeckis’subtledirection,givesthismasterfulactorthetoolsheneeds.HelenHuntis,unfortunately,underused.WesawherinthecurrentMelGibsonvehicleWHATWOMENWANT,andIremarkedonthesmallnessofherpart.ThescriptofCASTAWAYfeaturesHuntevenless.Whatthisfineactressneedsisanarrativethatwilltrulycenteronher,andnotontheoldermenwithwhomsheoccupiesascreen.AsKellyFrears,Noland’sloveinterestbeforehisbeinglost,Huntdoesherusualbelievableandefficientjob,thoughwedonotseemuchdevelopmentofhercharacter.Iwonderaboutviewers’reactionstotheending.Itstruckmeasnotparticularlysatisfying,butIcannotsaymuchaboutitwithoutofferingspoilers.Itremindsmeoftheendingsofsomanyover-workshoppedshortstoriesthatcameoutofcollegewritingprogrammedstudentsinthe1980’s.ThemoreIpondertheending,however,themoreIappreciatetheimportanceofitsmetaphor.Indeed,Zemeckisisunafraidofusingmetaphoricaltwiststhroughoutthefilm,adecisionthatwillalienateagooddealofviewers(whomaynotevenbeawareofthereasontheyaredisgruntled!).Myjudgmentisthatyes,filmsofhighqualityarescarcethisseason,ifnotthispastyear(2000).MyexperiencewatchingCASTAWAY(eventhetitlesmacksofmetaphor,no?)providedmewithanenjoyablemixtureofentertainmentandinstruction,andarethesetwoqualitiesnottheonesthatsupposedlymakegoodliterature?Thefilmlasts143minutes,andisratedPG-13.Ithasveryfewquestionableusesoflanguage,butacoupleofintensesequencesinvolvingtheplanecrashing,andNolandfindingthecorpseofacrewmember.
